ELIZABETH
Elizabeth is a 1998 biographical film directed by Shekhar Kapur and starring Cate Blanchett in the title role of Queen Elizabeth I of England, alongside Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough, Christoper Eccleston, Fanny Ardant and Vincent Cassel. The is based on the early years of Elizabeth's reign. In 2007, Blanchett and Rush reprised their roles in the sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age covering the later part of her reign. The film brought Australian actress Blanchett to international attention. She won several awards for her portrayal of Elizabeth, notably a BAFTA and a Golden Globe in 1998, while the film was also named the 1998 BAFTA Best British Film. Elizabeth was nominated in 7 categories in the 71st Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actress, receiving the prize for Best Makeup. * Country: United Kingdom * Language: English * Running time: 126 minutes * Budget: $30 million * Box Office: $82 million * Release date: September 8, 1998 * Distributed by: Gramercy. Pictures * Plot The young Princess Elizabeth (Cate Blanchett), daugther of the late King Henry VII of England and Anne Bolenyn, lives confined at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, since her sister Queen Mary (Kathy Burke) suspects of her being a protestant and conspirator against her Reign. Elizabeth is finally formally accused of conspiracy and heresy, and is taken as a prisoner to the Tower of London. Elizabeth fervently protested her innocence and asks to see the Queen. Finally, Queen Mary decides to release her since she doesn't have any prove of Elizabeth being disloyal to her or being protestant and not Catholic. In 1558, Queen Mary dies of a cancerous tumour in her uterus, leaving Elizabeth as Queen of England at the age of 25. At first, her reign over a divided and bankrupt realm is perceived as weak and under threat of invasion by Early Modern France or Habsburg Spain. For the future stability and security of the crown she is urged by advisor William Cecil (Richard Attenborough) to marry, and has some suitors. So, from the start of Elizabeth's reign, it was expected she would marry and the question arose to whom. Elizabeth is first urged by Cecil to marry, which, as he states, would secure her throne: the future King Henry III of France. She however, knowing a marriage with a memeber of a royal family from another country would risk a loss of power like her sister, who played into the hands of King Philip II of Spain, and also might provoke political instability or even insurrection, she rejects the possibility. During her reign she is also courted by Henry, Duc d'Anjou (Vincent Cassel), whom she rejects too. Instead, she has a secret affair with her childhood sweetheart, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (Joseph Fiennes). The affair is, however, no secret from her chancellor William Cecil, who makes it clear that a monarch has no private life. The first important measure she has to face as regent is a religious settlement: the Act of Uniformity, and Act she carefully prepares. Elizabeth and her advisers perceived the threat of a Catholic crusade against heretical England. Elizabeth therefore sought a Protestant solution that would not offend Catholics too greatly while addressing the desires of English Protestants; she would not tolerate the more radical Puritans though, who were pushing for far-reaching reforms. As a result, the parliament of 1559 started to legislate for a church based on the Protestant settlement of Edward VI, with the monarch as its head, but with many Catholic elements, such as priestly vestments. The House of Commons backed the proposals strongly, but the bill of supremacy met opposition in the House of Lords, particularly from the bishops. Elizabeth was fortunate that many bishoprics were vacant at the time, including the Archbishopric of Canterbury, however the reason of their absence was an ilegal imprisonment made by Elizabeth's counselor and "spymaster" Francis Wallshigan (Geoffrey Rush). This and the speech she would deliver to a recalcitrant Parliament enabled supporters amongst peers to outvote the bishops and conservative peers. Nevertheless, Elizabeth was forced to accept the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England rather than the more contentious title of Supreme Head, which many thought unacceptable for a woman to bear. The new Act of Supremacy became law on 8 May 1559. All public officials were to swear an oath of loyalty to the monarch as the supreme governor or risk disqualification from office; the heresy laws were repealed, to avoid a repeat of the persecution of dissenters practised by Mary. At the same time, a new Act of Uniformity was passed, which made attendance at church and the use of an adapted version of the 1552 Book of Common Prayer compulsory, though the penalties for recusancy, or failure to attend and conform, were not Besides this matter, Elizabeth deals with various threats to her reign, including a civil war against the supoprters of Mary, Queen of Scots who was considered by many to be the heir to the English crown. Mary's mother, Mary of Guise (Fanny Ardant), brings French troops into Scotland to attack Elizabeth's forces when they invade. Elizabeth was persuaded to send a force into Scotland to aid the Protestant rebels, and though the campaign was inept, the resulting Treaty of Edinburgh of July 1560 removed the French threat in the north. When Mary returned to Scotland in 1561 to take up the reins of power, the country had an established Protestant church and was run by a council of Protestant nobles supported by Elizabeth. Elizabeth permanently banishes Dudley from her private presence when she finds out that he is married. Elizabeth feels that such relations could give a man too much power over her. Moreover, cutting off her relations with Dudley is part of the process by which she becomes increasingly tough and assertive. She also becomes capable of occasional ruthless behaviour as in unflinchingly ordering the execution of those who she considers dangerous to her rule. After Elizabeth's advisor Walsingham discovers that Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (Christopher Eccleston) and his catholic cousin De La Quadra are plotting with King Philip of Spain to outtherone her, she orders their arrest and execution. Mary of Guise is also assassinated by Walsingham, who acted on unofficial orders from Elizabeth. All this is a considerable change from the warm-hearted, rather romantic girl which Elizabeth was in the early parts of the film; remaining such would have been incompatible with being a queen who actually ruled and dominated the men around her, and her transformation is a major theme of the film. The film ends with Elizabeth having her hair cut by Kat Ashley (Emily Mortimer) and assuming the vanilla-faced and gowned persona of the 'Virgin Queen', and initiating England's Golden Age. She sits down on her throne. The film ends with Elizabeth assuming the persona of the 'Virgin Queen', and saying: "I am married to England", initiating England's Golden Age.